


Wedding Bells

by SingingInTheRaiin



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Canon Asexual Character, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, somehow Jon Sasha and Tim manage to have very few braincells between them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28020687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SingingInTheRaiin/pseuds/SingingInTheRaiin
Summary: Jon is the ward of King Elias, and is told that he is to marry the Blackwood prince. Jon leaves before he can be sent to meet his fiance, since he is determined to live his own life. When Jon settles down to live a simple life, he meets Martin, and the two hit it off immediately.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 112





	Wedding Bells

Jon frowned at Elias. “What?”

Elias gave him what was probably supposed to be a friendly little smile, but mostly came off as disturbing. “I said that you are now engaged. To the prince of the Blackwoods, M-”

“You can’t just marry me off,” Jon snapped. 

Elias just arched one eyebrow and looked at Jon in that typical condescending way of his. “But of course I can. It’s my right, as your guardian. After all the years I have raised you and taken care of you and fed you and housed you, and never asked anything in return, is it really so difficult to imagine that I would care about protecting your future as well?”

Jon crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at Elias with undisguised irritation. “I appreciate what you’ve done for me, but I really don’t need you to marry me off.” If it was up to him, he’d stay in this castle for the rest of his life, spending all his time in the massive library. He was technically nobility, but stood to inherit no land of his own, since all of his family land had been taken in the attack that also killed his parents. King Elias had been kind enough to take Jon in as his ward, and Jon had spent the past several years doing his best to lay low and avoid the man. 

The way Elias smiled at him was reminiscent of the way one would look at a stubborn child who didn’t know what was best for themself. “This is truly in your best interest, Jon. How many times have you made it clear that you have no interest in producing an heir? Marrying a prince will remove that burden.”

“And what do you get out of all this?” Jon asked suspiciously.

He hated the way that Elias just continued to smile at him. He’d never once seen the king get angry, and he wasn’t sure why that bothered him so much. “The Blackwoods are strong allies with the Lukas’, who were once allies of the Magnus’. This will help restore that allyship, making our three kingdoms a strong united force.”

Jon frowned, mind quickly trying to cycle through all the possible valid reasons he might have for rejecting this engagement. “And won’t this prince need heirs?”

Elias shrugged one shoulder. “He has many relatives that could be named heir someday if it becomes necessary. And adoption is always a possibility. If there’s no other way for there to be a royal child, then it would be accepted. The Blackwoods are not as strict with their line of succession as other royal families are.”

There was only one last argument Jon could think of, at least at the moment. If he’d been given more time to prepare, he probably would’ve figured out a few other things to say. “Sire, I don’t- I don’t want to get married. I just want to stay here.”  _ With your library, _ he finished in his head.

He wasn’t sure what to make of the long look Elias gave him before he chuckled and reached out to ruffle up Jon’s hair. “That’s a sweet sentiment, but it just isn’t feasible. As much as I have enjoyed your presence here all these years, it is my duty as a king to do everything in my power to secure alliances. You don’t even have to spend much time with the man at all, as long as you keep up appearances. Everyone knows that love matches so rarely happen for people like us. No one will be disappointed that you are not besotted with their prince.”

Jon heaved out a long sigh. He wanted to find a way to squirm out of this, but the only idea that came to mind was… well, running away. He thought about it carefully as he returned to his room. It would be seen as a betrayal to the king, after everything he’d done for Jon, but… Elias had no right to marry Jon off. Gratitude didn’t go far enough to earn him that.

So Jon didn’t put up any fuss, and watched as all of his belongings were packed up into heavy trunks over the next few days. He had to plan everything out very carefully, because he knew that Elias was exceptionally good at somehow knowing everything that was going on within the castle, and Jon didn’t want to be caught immediately just to be dragged back to be forced into marriage with a complete stranger.

He bided his time, and waited until he was on the road. According to Elias, it would give Jon a good opportunity to bond with his future family if he moved in with them now, despite the wedding not being planned until two years out (to make sure that there would be enough time to make it big and pretentious and have all the most important people in attendance).

It took a couple of days to cross the border, and then they were no longer in Elias’ kingdom. The majority of people who’d accompanied him thus far turned back to return to the castle, leaving Jon with just two people he’d need to slip past, the knight Sasha and the manservant Tim. They were to stay with Jon to serve and protect him in his new home. Little did they know, but Jon had no intention of moving in with the Blackwoods.

Some of Elias’ staff could be quite unpleasant, but Tim and Sasha had always been friendly enough, and he didn’t want them to suffer the consequences of losing track of him. So after grabbing the small pack in which he’d set aside everything he needed, he left behind a note and a hefty amount of gold. With that, they’d be able to head off and start new lives elsewhere, without having to worry about returning to Elias or continuing on to the Blackwoods.

With that taken care of, Jon crept away. He thought he was being sufficiently sneaky, but was proven wrong when someone suddenly reached out to snag his arm with expert precision despite how dark out it was. “Where are you off to, my lord?”

Jon sighed as he tugged his arm free from Sasha’s loose grip. “I just need to relieve myself, and thought it would be best not to do so in the middle of our camp.”

Sasha raised one eyebrow and gave Jon a dubious look. “Fully dressed and with a pack? Why do I get the feeling that you’re lying?”

Jon sighed again. “Alright fine, I was just leaving. But you don’t have to worry about facing any consequences because of my actions. I left enough money for you and Tim to both take care of yourselves without having to deal with any royalty from either kingdom. You could go do something else.”

Sasha looked over Jon’s shoulder, and he glanced back to see Tim standing there, rubbing sleepily at his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“The little lord doesn’t want to get married,” Sasha explained. Then she focused back on Jon. “So where are we going if not to the Blackwood castle?”

Jon shrugged one shoulder. “I was just planning on…” he trailed off, and looked at Sasha with narrowed eyes. “We?”

She leaned back slightly and crossed her arms over her chest, making her look particularly stubborn in that moment. “Look, if you’re going to be honest with yourself, you’ve got to admit that you don’t have any experience living in the real world. I’m not saying that you haven’t gone through some tough times, but you’ve never had to fend for yourself outside of a giant manor or a castle. I completely understand you not wanting to get trapped in an arranged marriage, but that doesn’t mean I should just let you wander off to get yourself killed. And Tim agrees with me too.”

“I do?” Tim asked, still sounding like he was half-asleep. At the look on Sasha’s face he cleared his throat and quickly said, “I do, of course I do!”

They had a little stare off with each other, but when Sasha refused to back down, Jon had to give in. “I suppose that it wouldn’t be the worst thing, if you were to tag along.”   


“Great!” Sasha gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder that sent him stumbling back a step before he could stabilize himself. “Now that that’s settled, why don’t we get a good night’s rest before heading off? No point in wandering around in the dark if we don’t have to.”

Before he had the chance to say anything, or argue about why they should really be leaving right this minute, Jon found himself being shoved back into his tent. He curled up on his bedroll, and decided that this was probably for the best. As much as he hated to admit it, Sasha was right about his lack of experience with the real world. With the matter settled, Jon was able to close his eyes and quickly drift off to sleep.

,,,

Sasha had never been to this kingdom before, but Tim had grown up here- which was one of the reasons why he was chosen to accompany Jon. It meant that he was able to safely guide them to the nearest city without getting too lost. They made their way to the only tavern-slash-inn that they could find, where Jon handed over enough money for two rooms, figuring that he could share if Sasha and Tim were really so determined to stick with them.

The three of them gathered in the bigger of the two rooms and all plopped down onto the two beds. “So what’s the plan?” Sasha was the first to ask. “You’re going to run out of money sooner rather than later, unless you figure out a way to get more.”

“I have talents,” Jon told her in the snobbiest voice he could manage.

Tim snorted. “Sure would like to see them someday.”

Jon picked up his pillow and chucked it at Tim’s chest with enough force to make the other man let out a soft, “Oof!” Tim turned to look at Sasha, giving her the wide-eyed innocent look that often helped him get away with things. “Jon’s using his position of power to bully me!”

Sasha just rolled her eyes, and continued on like there’d been no disturbance. “This is a decent sized town, and I’m sure that all of us can find a suitable job. And with three incomes, we should be able to save up enough to rent out or buy a little place around here. It won’t be anything like what you’re used to, your highness, but-”

“That’s fine,” Jon interrupted. “As long as we’re alive, and free, and healthy, that’s fine.” 

With that settled, Sasha left to go to her own room, and the three of them settled down for the night. They’d go around tomorrow morning to actually procur work, and for now they had enough of Jon’s funds to stay at the inn for a while, so it seemed like things were really looking up for them.

,,,

Even though it would be easiest to look for work if they did so individually, Sasha refused to let Jon wander off until she’d badgered the innkeeper into sketching out a rough map of the city, and she insisted that if Jon hadn’t returned to the inn by nightfall, she and Tim would go out on a hunt for him. Jon quickly agreed just to get her out of his hair already, and then he took off.

Most of the places he passed by didn’t seem as though they’d appreciate help from Jon, who had very little practical knowledge. Then he reached a place that surely had to be perfect for him- a large bookshop. He hurried inside and glanced around. There was nobody at the counter, and there was only one other person in sight, so Jon assumed that had to be the owner of the shop.

He made his way through the store- which was easier said than done thanks to how cramped it was with stacks of loose books piled up all over the place, forcing him to step very carefully if he didn’t want to knock anything over. Eventually Jon reached the other man, though, and cleared his throat to get his attention.

The man looked up from the book he’d been skimming, and after staring at Jon for a few awkwardly long seconds, his pale cheeks flushed pink. Jon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but decided not to ask. “Do you happen to need any help around here? I have a lot of experience with libraries and book keeping.”

The man blinked a few times before he slowly shook his head. “No, I don’t-”

“Great, thanks for your time.” Jon spun on his heel, ready to leave, but the man reached out to grab Jon’s wrist. Though he let go immediately when Jon leveled him with an annoyed look. “What?”

The man sighed. “I don’t work here!” he practically squeaked out. “Just a customer who’s friends with the owner. But, uh, maybe I could- I could talk to the owner? See if she needs any help? But I think I’d have to at least- at least know your name before I could recommend you as an employee.”

Jon stuck out one hand. “I’m Jon.” He didn’t offer a last name.

After a moment, the man accepted Jon’s hand and offered in return, “Martin. So, you uh, you said you know a lot about books?”

,,,

Time seemed to slip away without Jon even realizing it. He and Martin had stood around in the bookshop talking for a while, initially about books, though the conversation had soon shifted elsewhere, and then they’d mutually decided to relocate to a nearby restaurant that Martin assured him had excellent food.

Jon hadn’t even realized how late it got until a waitress passed by to light up the candle sitting on their table. He looked up in surprise, and glanced towards the nearest window. He could see candles flickering in the windows of other buildings, and someone was going around lighting up the street lamps. “I didn’t realize how much time passed,” he grumbled. “I should probably be going now.”

Martin stood up with Jon. “Wait, I- uh… How do I reach you if the bookshop owner is willing to take you on?”

Of course Jon is aware of the steps one should take to stay safe from strangers, but even after less than a day of knowing each other, he could just tell that Martin meant him no harm. He pulls out his map and unfolds it on the table, taking several long moments to make sure he would be pointing to the right spot. “This is the inn I’m staying at. I know it’s a bit of a hike from the shop, but I wouldn’t want to be a bother by showing up everyday until I get an answer.”

“It wouldn’t be a bother,” Martin mumbled under his breath. “I’ll come by once I have an answer. It was… it was nice to meet you, Jon.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Then he put down enough money to cover his share of the bill, gave Martin one last firm nod, and headed off on his way. He bumped into Sasha a few streets away from the inn. 

“I wasn’t lost, just got held up,” he spoke immediately, before she could say anything.

She laughed at him, though it was probably well deserved, and then they headed back to the inn together. “So did you have any luck?”

“Maybe. I’ll have to wait a bit to hear back about it, so I won’t say too much in order to avoid jinxing anything.”

Sasha nodded. “That’s fair. I already talked to Tim, and he didn’t have any luck today. I did, though. If you’re serious about staying in this particular city, then I’ve got a spot on the city guard. I’ll have to go through a few weeks of training before I can get my official uniform, and I have until the beginning of the week before the next round of training starts, so that’s how long we have to decide whether we’re staying here or moving on.”

Jon thought of Martin, who was basically the first person he’d met here, and decided that even if he didn’t get the job at the bookshop, it would be worth sticking around.

,,,

Luckily, though, he did get the job. Jon gratefully accepted the key to the shop and the letter of instruction that the owner had apparently left for him. “Thank you so much. I really am quite happy to know that I get to do a job that I’ll actually enjoy.”

Martin’s face went pink at Jon’s gratitude. “It was nothing, really. You just seemed like the best person for the job. Based on everything you said about your experience with books, that is. So really I was just helping my friend. You know?”

“Still, if it weren’t for you, I might not have gotten this. So thank you all the same. You’re quite incredible, Martin.” He would never admit it out loud, but Jon found that he actually rather liked the way Martin would blush from praise and compliments, and did his best to subtly slip them in wherever they could.

Over the next few weeks, Jon fell into something of a routine. He never actually met the mysterious person who was technically his boss, but he never had too much trouble handling things on his own. And without fail, at the end of every week there would be a small pouch with his wages waiting for him in the lockbox. A decent number of customers came in everyday, but there was always at least a little bit of downtime where Jon could work on the horrendously organized shelves. And Martin came by almost everyday to bring Jon tea and to chat, which was always pleasant.

Then at the end of the day he would lock up and head back to the inn, where he’d usually find Tim, who’d gotten a job tending to the bar at the very inn they were staying at. After Sasha finished her training and was officially made a city guard, she got the newbie luck of all night shifts, so she would often head out just a little while after Jon got back. 

It was all surprisingly nice in its mundanity, and Jon wondered why so many nobles and royals looked down on the peasant way of life. As the weeks passed, he found himself growing closer with Martin as well, which was an unexpected but appreciated aspect of life here in the city. Overall, things were looking up, and Jon couldn’t be happier that he’d chosen to run off rather than get married to some random prince. 

,,,

Jon lost track of how long he’d been living in the city, though he was sure that it had been at least a few months, when Martin showed up at the shop one day looking quite distraught. Jon ignored the usual rules, and closed and locked the front door despite it being the middle of the day, so that he could gently guide Martin into the back room meant for employees only.

He made sure Martin was seated securely, then puttered around to put some cold tea onto the little wood stove to heat it back up. (Tim had made the tea this morning, so Martin had no reason to complain the way he always did when Jon made the tea himself). He put a mug down in front of Martin, along with a small hunk of bread and cheese that Jon hadn’t eaten at lunch, and then looked at his friend with some concern. “What’s wrong?”

Martin heaved out a long sigh, and fidgeted with the mug in front of him. “My cousin is supposed to get married in a couple of years, and I wasn’t planning on returning home until the ceremony, but I just got word that his fiance was kidnapped!”

Jon’s eyes widened. “Kidnapped?”

Martin nodded earnestly. “At first my cousin thought that it was just a miscommunication about when his fiance was supposed to arrive, so he didn’t panic, just sent a messenger to his fiance’s family to clear things up. But they said that they had sent off my cousin’s fiance ages ago and that they definitely should’ve arrived by now. So both of them sent out search parties to figure out what happened, and they found the fiance’s cloak in the middle of the woods, but no other sign of the fiance, which means that someone was covering their tracks. Everyone’s so freaked out right now, and I think… I think that I should head home to help them with the search.”

Considering the fate of his own family, and the many horror stories he’d heard growing up about what could happen when bandits got their hands on pretty young people, Jon could understand why everyone would be frightened for the fiance. “Is there anything you need from me? Anything that I could help with?”

Martin wrung his hands together nervously. “Not that I know of. You should probably just stay here, where it’s safe.”

“I do have a friend who’s with the city guard,” he reminded Martin. “I know I’ve never actually introduced you to Tim and Sasha, but I’ve talked about them before, and-”

Martin furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait- wait- Tim and Sasha? That’s who you came here with?”

Jon nodded, and looked at Martin in bemusement. “Yes. I’ve surely told you about them before.”

“Right, yes, it’s just that I didn’t- didn’t know-” he cut himself off then leaned over the small table enough that he could grab Jon’s shoulders and look him in the eyes. “Jon, I think you might be friends with the kidnappers!”

Jon blinked a few times as he tried to process that. “What.”

Martin nodded like Jon had just agreed with him. “Jon, according to the letter from my cousin, the two who were left to accompany his fiance are named Timothy and Sasha. And since their bodies were nowhere to be found, it can only be assumed that they’d either planned the kidnapping from the start, or at the very least joined the kidnappers to save themselves. Either way, they aren’t good people. Where did you say you met them?”   


There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Jon’s stomach- and no, it wasn’t because he thought that Tim and Sasha were kidnappers. They were basically like the opposite of kidnappers, since they’d helped him escape the marriage that he had no interest in. He should’ve known that this wouldn’t last very long. But in his defense, what were the odds that he’d bump into probably the one person in this entire city who would be able to ruin everything?

Jon didn’t need to ask anything else. He was smart enough to put everything together on his own, and if he prodded for any more information, then it would only potentially make Martin understand what was going on. It was funny, in a way, to realize that Martin was technically a higher ranking noble than Jon was, at least for as long as Jon was able to escape the marriage. 

The idea of leaving now, and leaving behind everything he’d been slowly building for himself in this place, was one that hurt quite a lot. But Jon valued his freedom too much to give it away to a prince he didn’t even know. And it wasn’t fair. If this was anything like in the stories he’d read, it would turn out that Martin was his intended all along, and they’d both be able to happily agree to the marriage after having gotten to know each other. 

But this was real life, and Jon refused to throw away the entire rest of his life just because Elias felt like Jon owed him something. So he cleared his throat, and spoke in the most casual voice he could manage. “Ah, you must be mistaken. Perhaps I forgot to mention it, but Tim and Sasha are my siblings. I’ve known them my whole life, and there’s no way they could be kidnappers. I suppose it’s just a coincidence.”

Martin gave him an uncertain look, then let out a sigh as he slumped back in his seat. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Besides, if they were kidnappers, you probably would’ve noticed a tied up noble lying around somewhere.” He and Jon both awkwardly laughed at that, and then lapsed into silence. Martin didn’t seem to realize that he’d let slip that his cousin’s fiance was a noble, and Jon didn’t see any reason to point it out to him. 

While Martin was lost in his own thoughts, Jon took the opportunity to study every inch of him that he could see. He may not have known Martin for a very long time, but he knew that he would miss the man once he was gone. When he’d gotten nearly his fill of looking, Jon cleared his throat. “So when do you need to leave to catch up with your cousin?”

“I’ll probably head out tomorrow. It’ll take a few days to get home from here. Hopefully it won’t take too long to track down the kidnappers or the missing fiance. You- you’ll be alright here won’t you?”

Jon rolled his eyes. “Yes, I am capable of taking care of myself, Martin,” he said with what should’ve been annoyance but came across more as fondness. He reached across the table to lightly rest his hand on top of Martin’s, just for a moment. “I’m sure everything will be fine, and you’ll be back here before you know it.” 

When Martin smiled back at him, so fondly and so innocently, it felt like a stab to the gut. But Jon couldn’t give in now, not if he wanted to maintain his freedom. So he let Martin smile, and did his best to act like he wasn’t a huge liar waiting to make a run for it the moment he got a chance.

,,,

Jon knew that Sasha and Tim were pretty well settled here by now, and actually enjoying their lives. The three of them together almost had enough saved up to buy a little place of their own (somewhat in part thanks to the money Jon had brought with him to start). If it weren’t for the fact that leaving them here would potentially lead to them getting arrested for kidnapping him, he probably would’ve slipped away without a word and left them to their content lives.

As it was though, Jon waited until all three of them were at the inn, and sat the other two down to tell them everything. Sasha looked up at him with wide eyes once he was finished speaking. “So Martin’s cousins with the crown prince, your betrothed, and everyone thinks that Tim and I kidnapped you?”

Tim had the audacity to laugh. “Well, I’ll say this about you: you never let things get boring, that’s for sure.” Then the implications of everything seemed to hit him, and his smile wavered. “So what now? We quit our jobs, pack our bags, and head to the next city?”

“Yes-”

“No-” Sasha and Jon spoke at the same time. Jon frowned, but nodded for Sasha to say what was on her mind first. “All you’re doing is setting yourself up to a life of being on the run forever. There must be lots of other Tims and Sashas in this city, so why are we immediately the suspicious ones?”

Jon crossed his arms over his chest. “Well you did arrive here right around the time that I ‘went missing’. Not to mention that you’re in the company of someone named Jon, which just so happens to be the name of the missing noble. But you’re right that you shouldn’t have to run, not when you’ve done nothing wrong. All of this is just because I am trying to escape my fate, and I’ve ended up dragging both of you into this. Maybe… maybe it would be for the best if I left on my own.” Sasha opened her mouth, but Jon barreled on. “Before you argue that I’d die without you or something, remember that I’ve been surviving just fine these past few months, living the peasant life. I’m the one who wanted to escape that marriage, so if anyone should be on the run, it should just be me.”

Sasha frowned at him, but she didn’t immediately put up an argument, which was a good sign coming from her. “Are you sure about this? Just because things have gone okay here doesn’t mean they’ll go so easy in the next place. Not to mention that you’d have to safely reach the next place before you could settle down there.”

Jon nodded. “I can handle myself. And I’ll be alright. What if we even promise to meet up within a year to check up on each other and make sure everything’s going alright?”

Tim cleared his throat and hopped up to his feet. Not that anyone seems interested in asking me, apparently, but what if I have a different idea in mind?”

,,,

Okay, so in Jon’s defense… well, he hadn’t though Martin would be setting out so early in the morning. Not that that was really much of a defense, but it was all he had. And now he was standing here, conspicuously no guard on duty by the gate thanks to Sasha ‘accidentally’ sharing the wrong rotation schedule, and Jon dragging a cart with a wrapped up body in it. Obviously it didn’t look great.

Martin stared at the whole scene with wide eyes. “Jon, what-?” Then his gaze drifted down to the cloth wrapped lump in the cart, and he let out a sharp gasp. “Now it makes sense that you defended them, you’re one of the kidnappers!”

Jon dropped the cart handles, mentally apologizing to Tim for how much the man surely got jostled by that, and hurried over to press his hand over Martin’s mouth. “Shh! Not so loud! I promise that there’s a good explanation for this, but just not here, okay?” Martin shifted on his feet and looked like he’d been stuck in a very awkward situation, and Jon did feel bad, but he was the one in the more awkward situation, so really Tim was at fault here, not Jon. “Just trust me, please. As soon as we’re far enough from the city that we won’t get caught, I promise I’ll tell you everything. And if you don’t believe me or don’t trust me, you can kill me yourself.”

For some reason, the suggestion made Martin look vaguely ill, but he did nod in agreement and follow Jon as he pulled the cart away from the city. Once they reached the entrance to the nearby forest, Jon finally dropped the handles of the cart- and yes he was petty enough for them to land more roughly than normal. There was a grunt of discontent from the inside of the cart before Jon leaned over to help unwrap the body.

Tim gulped in deep breaths of fresh air as his head emerged, and Martin looked back and forth between Jon and Tim with furrowed eyebrows. “What exactly is going on here?”

Tim hopped out of the cart, and then looked at Martin curiously. “So you’re the famous Martin, huh? Jon talks about you all the time, you know.”

Jon sharply elbowed Tim in the gut. “Shut up!” he hissed at him, before turning his attention back to Martin. He cleared his throat a couple of times. “I’m not a kidnapper, and neither is Tim, nor Sasha. There are no kidnappers. The one your cousin was supposed to marry is me, Jonathan Sims, ward of King Elias. I didn’t want to get married, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter, so I left and they came with me. No one was hurt, and we’ve just been trying to make peaceful lives for ourselves since we got to the city.”

Martin furrowed his eyebrow, but he didn’t look like he was in complete disbelief, so at least that was a small victory. “So what exactly is all… this?” He gestured to the cart and to Tim and the forest.

Tim and Jon both exchanged a long look with each other as they silently debated over who would be the one to answer the question, until Tim finally gave in and turned back to Martin. “There’s a few other smaller details to it, but essentially we were going to stage a kidnapping and then fake all three of our deaths in order to make sure that no one will be looking for us anymore.”

It was pretty understandable that Martin’s eyebrows shot up when he heard that. “That’s pretty extreme just to escape a marriage, isn’t it? My cousin’s not that bad…”

Jon shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve never even met the man. And whether he’s good or bad is besides the point. The point is that I should be allowed to choose who I want to marry, if I even want to get married at all. I may owe Elias something, but it certainly isn’t this. And I have no family or friends left at the castle that he could take his anger out on if he’s angered by the broken marriage contract, so it all works out. You just can’t tell your cousin about any of this, or it’ll be over for all of us. Please understand, Martin, that I am simply looking to live out my life on my own terms.”

They both just stared at each other for several long seconds until Martin finally let out a soft sigh. “I guess I can’t blame you for wanting to get away. But- faking your deaths? Really? Isn’t that a little bit extreme?”

Tim let out a soft cough- which served to abruptly remind Jon that he wasn’t alone with Martin out here- then spoke. “Freedom is great, but it is even better if it doesn’t come attached with a life on the run.”

Martin frowned. “Why didn’t you just talk to me sooner? Instead of letting me worry that someone was missing and potentially hurt or- or worse? And my cousin- he may not have ever met you before, but he’s a good person, and I’m sure he’s been worried sick about you. If he’s the one who turns down the engagement then there’s nothing King Elias could do about that, right?”

“I- huh. I guess I hadn’t really thought of that.”

Martin squeezed his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths, like he was trying to stay patient. “It didn’t occur to you to just try and talk things out like adults? It’s not like he’d marry someone who didn’t want to marry him.” He seemed hesitant to keep going, but took another deep breath before continuing. “And you were just going to leave while I was away and let me come back to think you were dead? That really seemed like a good idea to you?”

Jon reached up to run a hand through his hair. “Well, now that you put it like that… I suppose it was rather foolish.”

“So does this mean ixnay on the plan, then?” Tim asked.

Jon shrugged one shoulder. “Yes, I think that would be for the best. If Martin’s cousin is really so reasonable, then there’s no point in going through so much trouble to avoid him rather than just talking it out.”

Tim honestly didn’t look like he’d have been bothered either way. “So what will you say to him if he asks for a more specific reason why you refuse to marry him.”

“He won’t-” Martin started to say, at the same time Jon said, “I’ll just tell him that there’s already someone else I want to marry,” while looking right at Martin. Both of their cheeks flushed, but neither of them looked away from each other. When he finally thought that he might die of embarrassment if nothing else happened, Jon gulped, then very cautiously reached out to Martin, moving slowly enough for Martin to back away. Martin didn’t move though, and a small eternity later, they were finally holding hands. 

,,,

The news of the wedding between a Blackwood and the ward of King Elias spread quickly. Everyone seemed to have something to say about it, especially about the political ramifications of the union. Those who knew the happy couple were quite happy for them. The ceremony did its best to be low-key, but the small church ended up fully packed anyways from how many people came to cheer them on. It was a joyous occasion that ended with the newlyweds and their best man and best woman sneaking away from the party early to return home together. 

When Elias heard the news that he would not be getting an allyship with the Blackwoods after all, he could do nothing but seethe to himself. For years after, if anyone were to ask, Elias would insist that he could still hear the wedding bells ringing in the distance, taunting him. But nobody did ask, because nobody cared. 


End file.
